Interview by LTW Media with Mattel President and COO Richard Dickson

In a recent interview shared by LTW Media with the toy trade, “To get things done, we have to be agile”, the media team interview Richard Dickson, the President and COO of Mattel, who has been leading that charge.

The interview surmises that Mattel’s return to the top of the global toy business is no coincidence but rather a consequence of its new mentality infused by Richard Dickson, the President and COO. Speaking with LTW, he says, “I know we have the right brands, the right mix of heritage and futurism to bring Mattel not only back to where it once was, but even further still, to where it should be.” LTW go on to say, that Mattel is on the right track with the global toy giant posting figures just last week that showed a 3.7 per cent increase in net sales and a 41 per cent growth in operating income.

For Richard the cornerstone of this growth comes from the iconic doll brand Barbie, which has driven the hike with a 14 per cent increase in sales. He says with passion and conviction: “This brand is part of the DNA of every girl and woman – it has been part of Mattel’s history and their history for the past 60 years. And it is still going strong. We have re-imagined the doll, brought her in line with consumer needs and expectations, made her more real, more accessible yet still aspirational. The tag line – to inspire the limitless potential in every girl– is an ethos I believe in and everyone at Mattel believes in.” Just recently, the collector’s item Dr Who doll – of course the first female Doctor in the BBC series’ history – is just one example of how Mattel is harnessing the power of Barbie, but also looking to see what is the right fit for the brand. “We are excited about this”, Richard says, “a female Dr Who embodies the very spirit of what Barbie is and what she means to consumers and this is one way to shine a spotlight on that.” But alongside that is the Barbie engineer, the scientist, the surgeon, the astronaut – the list goes on.

The interview also covers key appointments, philosophy within the international offices and connections which are for Richard his pillars of strength ‘with consumers, customers, licensees, licensors and team’. He is quoted as saying, “Mattel is a fluid business because our consumers’ expectations are fluid. And so, for us to get things done as a company, we have to be agile and fast. It used to be that there were many layers and a lot of procrastinating, but I am at the end of a phone, or an email, or even sitting in front of the Mattel team. We share ideas, we think, we talk, make the compelling arguments and we act.”